2of15FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2018, file photo, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray holds the Heisman Trophy after winning the award in New York. The latest statistical surge has been led by the quarterbacks who will play in the Orange Bowl semifinal on Jan. 29, when No. 1 Alabama faces No. 4 Oklahoma. Both Heisman Trophy winner Murray (205.72) of Oklahoma and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (202.30) are on pace to break the record for passer efficiency rating set by former Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (198.92) last season. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)Photo: Craig Ruttle, Associated Press

4of15OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: The Oakland Athletics number one draft pick Kyler Murray #1 an outfielder out of the University of Oklahoma takes batting practice prior to the start of the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Oakland Athletics at thPhoto: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

9of15Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks to pass the ball, during the second half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)Photo: Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press

10of15OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics, first round draft pick Kyler Murray and Agent Scott Boras talk during a press conference after Murray signed his contact at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)Photo: Michael Zagaris / Getty Images

11of15MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners carrues the ball in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff Semifinal against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)Photo: Mark Brown / Getty Images

12of15OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: Manager Bob Melvin #6 of the Oakland Athletics talks with first round draft pick Kyler Murray on the field after Murray signed his contract with the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018 in Oakland, CaliPhoto: Michael Zagaris, Getty Images

13of15OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: First round draft pick Kyler Murray of the Oakland Athletics goes through a photo session on the field after signing his contract at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)Photo: Michael Zagaris / Getty Images

14of15MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff Semifinal against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Photo: Michael Reaves, Getty Images

15of15Oakland Athletics draft pick Kyler Murray (left) waits to hit during batting practice before a baseball game between the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 15, 2018. ; Kyler Murray (right) of the Oklahoma Sooners stands on the field during warm ups before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on November 3, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 51-46.Photo: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press ; John Weast / Getty Images

The A’s expect Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, the team’s top pick in June, to declare for the NFL draft Sunday, multiple sources told The Chronicle on Wednesday.

Declaring for the draft does not guarantee that Murray, an outfielder whom Oakland selected ninth overall, will decide to reject his $4.66 million deal with the A’s outright, but it certainly increases the chances that Oklahoma’s quarterback will decide to go pro in football rather than baseball.

According to a source, Murray declaring for the draft is not considered to be contractually significant.

Should Murray, 21, opt to enter the NFL draft, the real question will come Feb. 15 when A’s position players report to Mesa, Ariz. — Murray has an invite to big-league camp. He still could opt to be in the A’s camp, but the NFL scouting combine begins Feb. 26 and any high-round hopeful would be expected to attend. That’s when Murray would have to make a decision between football and baseball. One source told The Chronicle that Murray, a possible first-round NFL pick, is leaning toward football.

Late Wednesday night, a source indicated the A’s might consider allowing Murray to go the combine, a move that would require the approval of Major League Baseball.

If Murray chooses the NFL and does not play baseball, he would have to return the signing bonus, but the A’s will not receive a compensation pick in this June’s draft. Numerous first-round major-league picks have failed to sign, including Stanford pitcher Mark Appel in 2012, but the Pirates received a compensation pick the following year.

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“That’s a huge problem, not getting a draft pick back,” one source said Wednesday evening. “That would be really bad.”

The A’s would retain Murray’s professional baseball rights should he join an NFL team, meaning he still could play for them if football did not pan out. Listed at 5-foot-10, Murray is short for an NFL quarterback, a concern for some teams. Still, his size would not necessarily preclude him from being selected in the first round nor from enjoying a productive career.

Murray’s draft outlook could weaken if he declared for the draft but did not attend the combine or NFL teams’ predraft workouts. There is, however, no possibility that Murray could play both football and baseball in the same year. Multiple sources agreed Wednesday that the demands of learning and playing quarterback in the NFL would preclude Murray from playing professional baseball at the same time.

Oakland’s deal with Murray allowed him to return to Oklahoma and play football for his junior season, which he did spectacularly. When he signed, the A’s and agent Scott Boras indicated that the agreement did not allow for him to return for his senior season.

“When you win the Heisman Trophy, you’re going to have a lot of information come to you to be looked at,” Boras said at the winter meetings in Las Vegas. “All I know is Kyler has a tremendous opportunity to be a great baseball player and he knows that. … He has every intention to be in spring training and advance that interest.”

Susan Slusser has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1996. She has been a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America since 1993 and in 2012 became the only woman to be elected president in the 111 years of the organization. She has written about many other sports for the paper, particularly hockey and, more recently, e-sports.

Susan previously covered the Texas Rangers for the Dallas Morning News, the Orlando Magic for the Orlando Sentinel, and the NBA and other sports for the Sacramento Bee.

Susan is an on-air correspondent for the MLB Network and makes regular appearances on 95.7 FM The Game. Her book about the A’s, 100 Things A's Fans Need to Know and Do Before They Die, came out in 2014 and she and A’s radio announcer Ken Korach are working on a book that will come out in 2019.